Chapter 1 - The Nervous System

Basic Structure
Nervous System

It consists of the brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves

Made up of nerve cells and glial cells

Questions

1. What are the three parts of the nervous system?

2. What cell types make up the nervous system?

Neurons
Types of Neurons
Questions

1. What are the three main types of neurons?

Sensory Neurons
Receptors

Sensory neurons work with receptors

Detect and respond to different attributes of the internal and

external environment

Sensitive to changes in:

Light stimuli

Sound stimuli

Mechanical stimuli

Chemical stimuli

Question

1. What do sensory neurons work with?

Chapter 1 - The Nervous System 1

 2. What part of the nervous system detects and responds to
different attributes of the internal and external environment?

3. What do receptors do?

4. What kind of stimuli are receptors sensitive to?

Nociceptors

Activated when mechanical, thermal or chemical stimuli exceed a

certain intensity at which tissue damage can occur

Give rise to protective reflexes and to the sensation of pain.

Questions

1. When are nociceptors activated?

2. Activated when _________, _________, or _________ stimuli

exceed a certain intensity at which tissue damage can occur

3. What gives rise to protective reflexes and to the sensation of

pain?

4. What do nociceptors give rise to?

Motor Neurons

Control the activity of muscles

Questions

1. What type of neurons controls the activity of muscles?

2. What do motor neurons do?

Interneurons

In between sensory and motor neurons

The most common type of neuron in the human brain

Mediate simple reflexes

Responsible for the highest functions of the brain

Questions

1. What is the most numerous neuron in the human brain?

Chapter 1 - The Nervous System 2

 2. Which type of neuron mediates simple reflexes?

3. Which type of neuron is responsible for the highest functions of the

brain?

4. What do interneurons do?

Neuron Structure

Neurons consist of:

The cell body

Two processes

Axon - Transmit info from the neuron onto other neurons that it is
connected to

Dendrite - Recieve the info being transmitted by the axons of

other neurons.

Synapses - Specialized contacts between the processes

Questions

1. What are the parts of a neuron?

2. What are the two processes in the neuron called?

3. What is another name for dendrite and axon?

4. What is the specialized contact between the processes called?

5. What part of the neuron transmits info from the neuron onto other
neurons that it is connected to?

6. What part of the neuron receives the information being transmitted b

other neurons?

7. What is a synapse?

8. What does an axon do?

9. What does a dendrite do?

Glial Cells

Contribute to the development of NS

Chapter 1 - The Nervous System 3

 Question

1. Which cell contributes to the development of the NS?

Peripheral Nerves

Peripheral nerves connect sensory receptors and muscles to the brain and
spinal cord.

Questions

1. What do peripheral nerves do?

2. What connects sensory receptors and muscles to the brain and spinal
cord?

3. Peripheral nerves connect ___________ and ________ to the brain and

spinal cord.

Spinal Cord Functions

Two functions:

The seat of simple and complex reflexes

Forms highway between the body and brain

Questions

1. What are the functions of the spinal cord?

2. What part of the nervous system is the seat of simple and complex
reflexes?

3. What part of the nervous system forms a highway between the body and
brain?

Anatomy of the Brain

The brain consists of:

Brainstem

Questions

1. What are the parts of the brainstem?

Divided into the

Chapter 1 - The Nervous System 4

 Hind-brain

Extension spinal cord

Contain networks of neurons that help with vital functions such as

breathing and blood pressure

The cerebellum arises from the roof of the hindbrain

Cerebellum - Plays a central role in the control and timing of

movements

Questions

1. Which part of the brainstem is an extension of the spinal

cord?

2. Which part of the brainstem contains networks of neurons that

help with vital functions such as breathing and blood
pressure?

3. What does the hindbrain do?

4. What part of the brain arises from the roof of the hindbrain?

5. What does the cerebellum arise from?

6. What does the cerebellum do?

7. What part of the brain plays a central role in the control and
timing of movements?

Mid-brain

It consists of groups of neurons that each use a specific

neurotransmitter and project to cerebral hemispheres.

Modulates activity in higher centres of the brain to mediate

functions such as sleep, attention, or reward

Questions

1. What does the midbrain do?

2. Which part of the brain modulates activity in higher centres of

the brain to mediate functions such as sleep, attention, or

Chapter 1 - The Nervous System 5

 reward?

3. Which part of the brain consists of groups of neurons that

each use a specific neurotransmitter and project to cerebral
hemispheres?

4. The midbrain consists of groups of neurons that each use a

specific __________ and project to cerebral hemispheres.

Diencephalon

Divided into:

The thalamus

Relays impulses from all sensory systems to the CC,

which in turn sends messages back to the thalamus

The hypothalamus

Controls functions such as eating and drinking

Regulates the release of hormones involved in sexual

functions

Questions

1. What parts is the diencephalon divided into?

2. What do the thalamus and hypothalamus make up?

3. What does the thalamus do?

4. What does the hypothalamus do?

5. What part of the brain relays impulses from all sensory

systems to the CC?

6. What part of the brain controls functions such as eating

and drinking?

7. What part of the brain regulates the release of hormones

involved in sexual functions?

Cerebral Hemispheres

Consists of a

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 Core

The basal ganglia

Cental role in the initiation and control of movement

Questions

1. What are the three parts of the cerebral hemispheres?

2. What do the basal ganglia do?

3. What part of the brain plays a central role in initiating and

controlling movement?

CC

Made up of a sheet of neurons that make up gray matter

The most highly developed area of the brain

Four times bigger than gorillas

Somaesthetic areas - sensory areas that receive signals from the

skin

Sensory receptors from one side of the body crossover to the

other side

Movements of the left side of the body are controlled by the

right cortex

The two cortex are connected by the corpus callosum, a fibre

tract

Required for:

Voluntary actions

Language

Speech

Higher functions

Speech is lateralized in the left hemisphere

Questions

Chapter 1 - The Nervous System 7

 1. What part of the brain is made up of gray matter?

2. What type of matter is the CC made up of?

3. What is the most highly developed part of the brain?

4. What part of the brain is four times bigger than a gorilla?

5. The CC is four times bigger than a gorilla?

6. What are the somaesthetic areas of the brain?

7. What is the term for sensory areas in the CC that receive

signals from the skin?

8. Which fibre tract connects the hemispheres?

9. What are the four functions that the CC is required for?

10. In which hemisphere is speech laterlized?

The father of modern neuroscience was Ramon Y Cajal

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